Blood and Stone
by JessiWeird
Summary: Set free by a defeat, the spirit formerly entrapped in Majora's Mask is thirsting for revenge. Seven years after the battle that defeated the moon, it first sets its sight on Link, but then sights a much larger target. Hyrule.
1. Notes

Just some beforehand notes.

1) I own the few original characters you will see throughout the story, and the land of Yorj. That's it. Nothing more. Everything else belongs to Miyamoto and Nintendo. 

2) This story will not have a Link/Zelda pairing. I like the idea of the pairing, but for a fleshed out story, it's too problematical. However, there will be no Link/Original Character a.k.a Mary Sue pairing either, so you don't need to be afraid. For the most part, Link will be paired up with Malon in this story – but probably nothing too heavy. Hints, flirtation, but the story will not be centered on it. 

3) The timeline for this story is that its set seven years after Link journeyed to Termina, so he is now seventeen. As would be Malon and Zelda and Ruto and etc. 

4) I tried writing this story earlier, but couldn't finish it because of computer problems. If anyone read 'Through the Mists' by AnyaJaded, and notice similarities between that story and this one, don't worry. I was AnyaJaded, and that was my story.

And lastly, please, don't be afraid to give me constructive criticism. As long as its not: this story sux!!!111! I'm willing to listen, or, rather, read – no matter how harsh it may be. If you're a fellow writer, and have something to say about my grammar or whatever, say it. I'll be the better for it.

And without any more of my pointless babble, on with the story. :)


	2. Prologue

A powerful deity

A former queen of a kingdom, renaissance

Trapped within a violet face

Hidden amongst the shadow flames

Awakened by a hunger

A greed for power

Magic cast, magic thrown

She lived once more

The fire screamed

The chains rattled

The people slayed

And the world bled

Until it was quiet

The mighty four took their stands

Shook the heavens

Bandaged the land

The water flowed

The fire died

The grass grew

And the world danced

A young creature

A faery; cream

A faery; violet

A man, full of wisdom yet hungry for countenance

A strike of a sword

A lost horse

An instrument, ripped

And clothed in green

Awakened by a hunger

A greed for power

Magic cast, magic thrown

She lived once more

The moon wept

The people dove for the ground

Words were thrown

Fear hung over the land

Until the strike of a sword

An instrument fixed

A horse regained

And a faery; cream

The mighty four stood again

The moon stopped its vile cry

Green to charcoal

Brown to white

Celebrations

Fireworks

A bond between two

And an empty violet face

A former queen of a kingdom, renaissance

A powerful deity

Trapped between worlds

No taste, no feel

Until she take a form

One lined with noble blood

One who carried tremendous power

One who will be slain

- The prophecies of the two worlds


	3. Chapter 1

A/N: Just to note: the faery argument isn't completely meatless. Just a tinge of foreshadowing. :)

***

For all his graces, Link wasn't without his faults as well. He was charming and brave, no doubt about that. He was extremely giving and kind, that was also true. He was arrogant, but in an endearing way. And, Malon smiled as she further counted Link's good qualities, he was quite good looking. 

However, he had no table manners. 

She could only watch, her eyes wide, as Link greedily tore into the food on his plate. He had already devoured the meat, and was now tearing apart the bread in a mad rush of hunger and possible desperation. He paused for a second to take a sip of the milk, droplets slithering down his chin and onto the food without his notice. 

_Or maybe he doesn't care_, Malon couldn't help but think. The word atrocious rose to the surface in her mind, followed quickly by disaster. The kind a person couldn't take their eyes off. Malon found her unable to look away, even though the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach grew with every bite Link took.

Her eyes flitted to her own food, and she wasn't sure she ever wanted to eat again. 

Malon was just about to take Link's plate away and throw it all into the garbage when a loud snort broke her line of actions. Looking to the seat adjacent, she noticed her father sound asleep. He was sprawled out, his belly jutting out for everyone to see and his head tilted over the side. A trail of drool traced from his mouth, down his chin and neck.  

Horrified, her gaze flicked from her father to Link, then back to Talon. Standing up, the legs of her chair screeched loud enough to cause Talon to wake up in a start. 

"Huh, huh huh? Are the geru, z, zoras attacking?" Talon said in obvious disorientation. 

Link looked up from his food, raising one brow in mild amusement. Malon shared a smile, before gesturing to the side of her mouth. Link, thankfully, got the hint, and wiped off his mouth with a napkin.

_Thank goddesses,_ Malon thought gratefully. _He knows how to use a napkin._

"I think I'm goin' to go check on Raven," she said, looking at her father. Talon nodded, and Malon smiled. "Link, come with me," she requested further, already starting to walk to the door.

Agreeably, Link followed. The door closed with a click behind him.

"Who's Raven?" Link asked, falling into step besides Malon.

Malon's green eyes tilted upwards and she flashed Link what she hoped could pass as a coy smile. She wasn't good at being anything but perky and straightforward, so coy wasn't something that came easy. She didn't answer, and instead opened the door to the barn. 

Wrapping her arm around Link's, she tilted her head to gesture at an adolescent bay mare. Her colouring resembled Epona greatly, except she had a black mane.  Upon seeing Link, she tilted upwards and flexed her legs, shrilly neighing. She landed a moment later, and pawed at the ground with her right hoof, snorting concisely. Then, she stopped and simply sniffed the air.

"That's Raven." Malon smiled, "Epona's foal."

Link's gaze could only switch from Raven to Malon and back to Raven repeatedly, his eyes wide and his mouth open in amazement. Malon, pleased with the reaction, stepped back and let go of Link's arm.

"Wait… Epona has been with me. When could she breed?"

Malon couldn't help but smile even wider. 

"When you were visitin' the Forest Children, a few years ago, you left her at the entrance of the portcullis. I found her when I was taking a walk – I guess she responded to my hummin' – and I took her to the corral. She took to a stallion that had been recently put in my care, and the next thing I knew, she was pregnant."

She allowed herself a moments' pause to gently pat Raven's neck.

"That's why I convinced you to take Farore and not Epona. Although I did miss her, it wasn't my main reason," her smile faded at the memory of being deceitful to Link, "and when Raven was born, I placed her in the stone tower so Epona wouldn't become too attached and not want to go with you."

Malon paused once more to glance up at Link, smiling once more. 

"She knows you, though. She knows you in the way Epona knows you."

Link didn't answer, taking the time to process this information. Malon's smile faded yet again.

"Well? What do you think of her?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but clamped it back shut a moment later. A corner of his mouth tilted upwards in a lopsided smile, and he gently patted Raven's neck. For a moment, a whimsical look crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced with quiet contentment.

"If she has half Epona's spirit, she'll be one hell of a horse," Link finally said.

Smiling as broadly as she could, Malon wrapped her arm around Link's and slid her fingers into his, entwining their hands. Her voice laced in laughter, she began to tell him about Raven's stories of attempted training.

***

"What does that say? Huh, huh? Zellie, what does that say?" 

"Tael, calm down. You can read, remember?"

"No, I can't! You never taught me! You're a bad big sister!"

"Excuse me?! I nearly died trying to save your hide! And _I'm_ the bad sibling?"

"Yes! You should've taught me how to read!"

"Tatl, Tael, can you both just calm dowm?"

"Shut up, Navi!"

"And don't butt into other people's conversations!"

"People? I thought we were faeries."

"Yeah, but…"

Suddenly, the book Zelda had been holding slammed shut, earning silence from the three arguing faeries. Tael flew behind Tatl, peeking out from behind with ginger movements. Navi daintily flew over and fell to rest on Zelda's knee. Even though faeries didn't have eyes, Zelda knew they were all looking at her. 

"I'm sorry about that," the princess plainly apologized. The book opened again, without any physical assistance. Quickly, the pages flipped until she got to a certain spot. Touching the page with a gloved hand, her eyes flew up to look at Tael. "Is this what you wanted me to read?"

"My queen," a voice interrupted from behind, cutting of Tael before he had a chance to answer. 

Zelda's bemused smile faded and she wore a look of cold regality as she spun around. "Yes, Valmont?" She replied, upon seeing her secondary advisor standing there.

"If I may… baby sitting faeries is hardly the duty of a queen…" he was clearly only half done his sentence, but Zelda interrupted anyways.

"And telling me what to do is hardly the duty of a second rate advisor."

The words stung, and Valmont had to keep from recoiling as he continued. "And Princess Ruto is here to see you, on official business, or so she says," he finished, an evident dislike for Ruto or perhaps Zora's in general lacing his words. 

"Alright. You can go now," she dismissively waved. When he was out the door, Zelda stood up. 

"Go on, Zelda," Navi complied, flying around merrily. "We'll be fine."

Nodding, Zelda smoothed down her dress, and then her hair. She always made it a practice to look as presentable as possible, even though she would much rather be in her Sheik clothing then any fancy dress. At least she could look the part of a queen, as she hardly felt like a proper one.  It was still incredibly new to her, ruling over all of Hyrule. 

"Yeah, Zelda. We'll try not to argue anymore," Tatl chimed in, flying into a position beside Navi. 

Zelda smiled, and with a wave of her hand, seemingly disappeared in a small show of white light. 

No one noticed the apoplectic state of fear or the cold stillness that now engulfed Tael, as he sank to the floor. 


End file.
